JoJo Striker, Black Transgender Woman, Shot and Killed In Toledo

JoJo Striker, 23, was found murdered in Toldeo, Ohio last Wednesday. The black transgender woman is the third trans murder victim on record in 2017, all three of which have been people or color, according to Fusion.

One sad aspect of this murder is that original news stories and interviews with Striker’s family misgendered her.

“The police told us to leave it alone but that will never happen because I will always search for my son’s killer,” Shanda Striker, Jojo’s mother, told WTOL-11. “This is a hate crime and it needs to stop.”

Likewise, police initially misgendered Striker in their reports by using her birth name and haven’t specified whether or not they believe her murder was a hate crime. However, local transgender rights organizations are sure it is.

“We are already seeing signs that the new administration will be stepping back protections for transgender people,” saidEmily Waters, Senior Manager of National Research and Policy at the New York City Anti-Violence Project. “In a moment when we are seeing the highest number of reports of homicides of transgender and gender non-conforming people, we need policies that protect the rights and safety of transgender people—not roll backs.”

Striker was found in a garage with a single gunshot wound to her torso. Mic reports that police do not have a suspect or motive as of yet. For the time being, police suspect that Striker’s death may have been tied to her “criminal past,” a past which they’ve provided no details on.

“Jojo Striker’s murder in Toledo, Ohio remains unsolved and is yet another disturbing reminder that our transgender friends and family are under attack … Thank you in advance and please continue to have conversations about these heinous attacks against our community,” reads the post on a GoFundMe page for Striker’s funeral costs.

Photo via Twitter

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Keith Reid-Cleveland is a proud product of Chicago’s Southside and the Missouri School of Journalism. The Black Youth Project News Editor has written about politics, race and entertainment for multiple publications, such as Uproxx, The Undefeated, Black Nerd Problems, Comic Book Resources and more.